The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-19
COURT SECRETS.
How the Decisions of the United States SUI
preme C0nrt Are Guarded.

How the Decisions of the United States SUI
preme Conrt Are Guarded.
Washington Correspondence New York Evening Post.
Justice Miller was on his way from the Capitol
to his modest home on. Massachusetts, avenue.
1t was Saturday. and the court had closed up
hard weeks work. handsome. curly headed
boy accomp panied him and carried bundle of
Supreme Court records and massively bonnd
quarto book. With the simplicity Of habit which
characterizes all the Judges of the Supreme
Court, Justice Miller entered public vehicle,
and found himself in group of Senators and
Congressman.
is that your Sunday literature, Judge:' asked
Senator Cockrel
well, would not like to be examined on that
point" replied the Judge, Laughing. .Thev are
the cases we have disposed of this week
1.-THE telephone case is not among them?s was
jocularly asked.
mo: the record is too bulky. and the case is too
important. l presume, however. we shall
nounce a decision in that case some time in April,
II not before. That book" said the Judge,
pointing to the quarto volume which the uage
was firmly grasping, has a history. There
was time when each judge kept an ordinary
book in which, as each case was decided, he en-
tered who WAS to prepare the opinion and what
judges agreed with him and who dissented. But
it was found that IN some way the knowledge of
decisions that were to be rendered leaked ont
and was made the subject of speculation on the
stock market; so now, as you see. there he d.
rected his young attendant to turn the book he
held so that the front would be visblel we keep
memorandum books locked"
And each judge carries key?a
Each judge has one KEY"
ut is singular" said the Justice. falling into
reminiscent mood, what shrewd plans are re-
sorted to to ascertain the way the court is in
clined 10 decide cases. Some years ago we had
the - silver mine case before for decision.
At that time we had not our own marshal; tn g
district marshal was the marshal Of the
An mi in
volved in the case. and there was
naturally good deal Of anxiety to
know how the court would decide it. The Mar
shall went up to Brother -. now dead as pure.
and honorable, and unsuspicous ever
lived, but great talker. and said: We'll, Judge.
Ipfgsume we shall have decision soon in the
-ssilyer mine caseT Yes said Brother -.
very SOON ! suppose Judge Clifford will
-, Brother Clifford will be the organ
Of the court This was all the marshal
wanted to know. for Justice Cliford's habit was
always to break in upon an argument with Ques-
tlons which clearly indicated the drift. OF his
mind on the matter under discussion, and when
the marshal heard that Justice Clifford to
write the opinion he knew as we'll as if he had
been told in SO many words that the decision
would he ia favor OF the mining company. So
he bought MP all the stock he could on a mar
GIN"
''And made pile Of money, I supposer SEN
ator Cockrell asked.
'sWen, no. he didn't replied Judge Miller,
with q hearty laugh. 1.-THE resources of the
mine had been so exaggerated in the course Of
the argument that the stock had risen on the
market beyond its real value, and after the de-
cison Of the court it fell instead Of advancing,
| and the marshal lost all he had put up.
Upon the whole" added the Judge. II am in
clined to think very highly of tho purity of the
| American bench. There are cases which We
| decided last year which would have enabled any
member of the court by simply taking advan-
| taee of the knowledge he had of the views OF
| the majority"
"Or limiting them to his wife or some conf
| Dental FRIEND interrupted Senator Cockrell.
| Eyes. in that or any other way" continued
Judge Miller, ITO have put million dollars into
| his pocket. But here just were
/ last year, and no whisper Of anything of thai
I kind has ever been heard